Rotary sprinkler unit



Dec 28, 1954 B. Bonos 2,698,200

I ROTARY SPRINKLER UNIT Filed June 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 28, 1954 B, B01-Tos 2,698,200

ROTARY SPRINKLER UNIT Filed June 29,- 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR United States Patent() "ce ROTARY SPRINKLER UNIT Baltassar Bottos, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,295

12 Claims. (Cl. 299--69) This invention relates to rotary sprinkler units, and is specifically concerned with units of that type in which a number of streams pass through the sprinkler head. 'The device herein described may advantageously derive power for rotation of the sprinkler head from the reaction of liquid flowing through its channels under pressure.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler unit so low in cost that it may be used in multiples to attain wide coverage without involving excessive expenditure. At the same time, and of equal importance, the invention aims to provide a rugged, dependable and effective mechanism, capable of ensuring uniform distribution of liquid throughout the entire area of its maximum reach.

The structure for attaining these objectives embodies a spinner head adapted to be rotated by the velocity reaction of streams of water passing through it. Each of the streams which passes through the spinner head discharges in a plane which is perpendicular to the radius in which the discharge orifice lies, so that the trajectories of the several streams will be generally tangential to the circle in which all discharge orifices lie. Each stream discharges, however, at a different angle of elevation, with reference to the plane of rotation of the spinner head.

The structure also includes a housing in which the spinner is mounted for rotation in a plane transverse its axis, together with retaining means providing for rotation of the spinner but preventing it from dropping out of the housing.

In its preferred form the retaining means for the spinner is a pivot pin which is coaxial with the spinner and has an enlarged head engaging the spinner. At its upstream end, the pivot pin engages a bridge-piece mounted cross-wise of the housing.

The invention may be best understood, and its advantages best appreciated from a description of the device itself, illustrated in certain preferred embodiments in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a developed view, showing the orientation of the liuid channels;

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate, partly in section and partly in elevation, alternative embodiments of the invention shown in Fig. l;

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical sections, illustrating adaptation of the invention to a somewhat different form of use.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, the device is illustrated as it would be employed in a multiple installation. Reference letter A designates the outer layer of a double-jacketed protective apron or other garment, such as might be worn by firemen. The inner wall of this jacket is indicated at B, and a body of fluid lling the interspace is indicated by dotted lines at C. The fluid is, of course, under pressure, and may be supplied through any convenient hose connection (not shown).

In this embodiment of the invention, the spinner head is indicated in general by the reference number 11, and the housing is in the form of a cup, having a lateral flange 12, a cylindrical wall 13 supported thereby, and a bottom closure 14. This bottom closure, in the embodiment shown, corresponds to the bridge piece heretofore referred to. The pivot pin which connects the housing and the spinner is, according to this embodiment, the hollow tubular pin 31 which spans the gap between the bridge piece 2,698,200 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 14 and the bottom 16 of the spinner head proper, here indicated by the reference number 15.

Considering the spinner head itself, in this embodiment of the invention, it will be seen that the primary structural elment is nothing more than a short length of rod stock 15, which is drilled out to provide a water space 17 terminating in the conical surface 20. (The conical configuration of that surface is of no consequence, being due only to the shape of the drill point used in forming it.) A series of water channels is drilled through the spinner head extending from the surface of 21 to such a depth as to establish communication with the water space 17. The delivery ends of these channels, as may be more clearly seen in Fig. 2, lie in a common circle with reference to the axis of rotation of the spinner head itself. That is to say, they are equidistant from the center of the surface 21. The openings of these channels are indicated in series by reference numbers 22 to 29, inclusive. The channels themselves have been given corresponding numbers, but prefixed by the ordinal 1. Thus, the discharge opening 22 marks the outer terminus of the water channel 122; the discharge opening 23 marks the outer terminus of water channel 123, etc.

In this embodiment of the invention, the channels are simply drilled through the spinner head. Their discharge openings are preferably spaced at even angular distances about the circle in which all of the discharge openings lie. In the device illustrated in the drawing, there are eight discharge openings spaced 45 apart around the periphery of the circle. It is, of course, apparent that a larger or smaller number of channels may be provided, if desired. However, in order to reduce the tendency of the spinner head to wobble during rotation, I nd it very desirable to space the discharge openings at equal angular distances from each other, no matter how many such openings may be used.

As is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, and quite clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, the water channels 122 to 129, inclusive, are oriented at different angles to the outer surface 21 of the spinner. Fig. 3 is a developed view of the imaginary cylindrical surface in which the openings of all channels would lie. It will be seen that the passage 122 lies at an angle of approximately 70. The channel diametrically opposite thereto, namely, channel 126, lies at a slightly less sharp angle, namely 65. The pitch of channel 123, at 45, is the lowest angle shown, and its diaymetrically opposite number, channel 127, is only 5 steeper, that is 50. Channel 124 is normal to the plane of the surface 21, while channel 128 is very nearly, but not quite, normal thereto, being, as here illustrated, at an angle of Channel 125 lies at 55, while its opposite number, channel 129, is pitched at 60.

It will be seen that streams delivered from any pair of channels on diametrically opposite sides of the spinner will develop reaction against the spinner head of approximately the same magnitude. This is an especially desirable arrangement, since it promotes stability during rotation or, to state it in other words, reduces the wobbling which might result if the loading imposed by stream reaction were not roughly balanced. It is also to be observed that the channel 124, which delivers no reaction thrust in the plane of rotation, is adjacent to channel 123 which delivers maximum thrust in that plane.

In this embodiment of the invention, wherein all of the channels are drilled through the spinner head, and therefore have straight axes, it may generally be observed that the water stream discharged from any discharge opening will lie in a plane which is substantially normal to the radial plane containing both that opening and the spinner axis. Insofar as the plane of rotation is conv cerned, all of the streams except that delivered through discharge orifice 24 will be tangential to the circle in which all discharge openings lie. Considered in the axial direction, the discharge through channel 124 will be parallel to the axis of the spinner but radially spaced therefrom, whereas the discharge from all the other channels will be at an angle to the spinner axis.

Where the device of the present invention is to be used in multiple installations, it is preferable to restrict the amount of flow through each unit. This is readily accomplished, according to the showing of Fig. l, by constructlng the bridge piece 14 as a solid member having a centrai' aperture' 32:` The open inner end' of the spinner head 15 1s correspondingly ciosed by the disc washer 16, which h as a central ,opening 19 counter-sunk to receive the.r ar'ed head'n30 of thei'pivot pinA 31: By' selecting a4v tubular pivot pin havingthe desired bore, it?` is easy' to control the-.amount of water which-.will be discharged through 1t.,.1n lsuchla wa'y as" to ensure that all units-of agroup .will be supplied with substantially'-equal pressure. Rota'tlonis accommodated by forming-the counter-sunk aperture 19 so that it willlhave a loose or runningv lit with the flaredend 30 of the pivot'pin', whereas this pin either hasa driving iit in opening'1 32', or elsel is peened over as here illustrated. A

p The several parts of the meehanism"justdescribed are,A of course, separately manufactured. The anged cup housmgjs howny inFigi. l isformedin a2 single die-stamping operatlou, the aperture 32 being subsequently punched" orvdrllled, or being formed at the same time a'sthe housmg by means ofapunching diei A tube of the desired bore is flared at' one endand cut oir at the proper length to'form the tubular pivot pin'3'1l The'spinner'head is pref` erably drilled first to form they water space 17 and then drilledlagain to form the water channels. The closure member 16 for the water space 17"i`s cut to have a driving t with the depending walls 18 of the spinner head-proper. It is then counterbored so as to accommodate the 'dared end of the tubular pivot pin. 1

In assembling the device, a layer of hard wax or other hard but meltable material is" spread over" the upper surface of the, cup' bottom 14. Then the tubular pivot" pin 31' is inserted through'the dise 16', and thereafter through the opening 3'2 in the cup bottom 14. At this point, the llower end ofthe tubular pivot pin 3`1 is peened over or XPal'lded to secure it h rmly in thev apertlre 32.y Thereafter,` the spinner head is driven into' the' cup, so as to force'the discl 16 into engagement withthe depending cylindrical wall 18 of the spinner head1. Then the rneltablev material is heated and permitted t'o flow outof the cup.y The hard wax or low-melting-point lsolder or like material' is', of course, lfor the purpose ofv vpreserving a small spaceV between the Xedbottom' member 14 and the rotating closure member 16. constituting the base Vof thegs'pinner head. It isby this means that the flared endoffAthe pivot pin is prevented from gripping the' counterbore opening in the disc 16. If, after the melted material has beenv removed, it is found that the spinner head does not rotate freely upon `the pivot pin, a` light tap` on the: face of the spinner will drive the head and the washer 16)' dtwvnwardlyso as tofree the counter-bored surface from the ared end of the' pivot pin.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 is somewhat easier to produce. In that embodiment, the` spinner head is retained in position by means of a bridge piece 33 provided with a pivot point 34, which engages the conical pivot seat 35 formed in the eenterof the spinner head. rIhe member 33 is 'a' thin wire or strap which entends diarnetrally'I across th'e outer surface of the housing and is welded, soldered, or otherwise seeur'ed at'its opposite endsto the circular flange 1 2. When this type of construction is used, it is not necessary to provide the hollow pivot pin 131 with a flared end, nor to cou "erb'ore the washer 116. Instead, theA washer 116 is d` en into the open end of the spinner head before the spi ner is inserted in the housing,V andthe pivot pin is inserted from the bottom of the housing 14. When the parts `have been assembled as described, the bridge piece 33 is laid across the to'p and lightly soldered or tack welded to the lateral flange 12. v

Where the device is to be produced in quantity, a simplification of the manufacturing technique is possible by milling the `water channels instead o `f drilling This embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the cylindrical wall of the spinner 118 is a separate tubular mein'- ber, and the spinner block 115 is of an outside diameter to make a driving nt inside that t'ube. The water channelstthose numbered 225 to 229 are shown yin this view) are formed by milling the cylindrical wall of the' elock 115, so that inthisembodinient the water channels will not be truly tangential to the circlel in ywhich the discharge openings lie, but will instead Vhave a helical orientation. Neverthelesabecause of the kinetic energy imparted, the str e ams, a s soon as' they are discharged, assume a tang'en'tialorientation. ,y v v Iii order to ensure nifoi'n'sp'ciiigas between the block and the washer 16, I prefer to insert a thin spacer ring 36; closely fitting the inner surface of the wallA 118'. If such a ring is used, it is desirable, in order not to restrict the size of the inner openings of the water channels, to mill them to a somewhat greater depth towards the pressure side of the spinner head, as indicated at 229 in Fig. 5. Otherwise, the structure shown in this ligure is generally quite similar to that shown in the other views. l

Fig. 6 illustrates theY use of the deviceof this invention as a sprinkler head for anordinary garden hose or bathroom shower spray. In this embodiment, there is no need for the lateral flange 12 andit is of course omitted. Since in a device of this character there is no need to restrict the amount of water delivered to the spinner head, a solid pivot pin 231 is employed. This passes axially through the spinner disc, and is provided with a conical head 134 which is received in the conical pivot socket 135 formed in the center of the discharge" sideof the spinner disc. The shank of the pivot pin 231 has its lower endv 37 curled about a bridge piece 114 mounted,y as before, diametrally across the housing. As here illustrated, the bridge piece is in the form ofa pin having its ends rivetedv in position inthe outer walls of the hous4` ing. The outer surface of the housing walls may desirably be circumferentially fluted, for installationsl of this sort; so asl to increase the frictional grip' of the hosel 36 which surroundsit.

The form of spinner head shown in the embodiment of Fig. 6' may be vmounted on a housing rather than in it. When this is done, they housing wall 113 takes the form of a metal ferrule having an outside diameter of such a size as to' provide arunning lit inside the depending cylindrical wall 118 of the sprinkler head., The bridge' piece', in the form of a' pin or strip' 114, spans the ferru'le from' side to side, and is riveted to the walls'. The eye 37 of the pivot pin 231 engages this bridge piece, as in the embodiment actually illustrated. The hose fits over the outside of the ferrule. This variation in form of the invention is not illustrated since its nature is perfectly obvious from the description given. It has an advantage, because a thin film of water forms between the inner surface of lthe depending wall 118 of the sprinkler head and the exterior surface of the ferrule 113',l and this water film serves as a lubricant. It has a` disadvantage in that spray is likely to blow back from the spinner head towards the operator, particularly if thepre'ssure applied is relatively high.

Fig'. 7 presents an adaptation of the mechanism shown in Fig'. 6, wherein the restraining means comprises a snap' ring below the sprinkler head and an inwardly projecting peripheral flange above the sprinkler head. In effect, the housing itself constitutes a hollowvpivot pin, and the snap ring corresponds to tlie bridge piece. In this View.y the housing 113 is provided with an annular ring 231 at its delivery end, overlying the tubular wall 11S which surrounds the spinner block 115. This ring is preferably inwardly beveled, as at 38. To' accommodate the spinner head to thi's form of restraining means, it is niy necessary to chamfer the outer end of the'tubc 118, as clearly shown at 39. The other element of the securing means, which prevents the spinner head from shifting its position inwardly when the device is not in use, is the snap ring 214 which is inserted in a suitable annular groove #1, formed in ythe inner face of the housing 113, just below the lower end of the spinner head proper.

Although this embodiment of the invention is capable of producing useful results, it is not the preferred embodiment, since the spinner may not begin to spin when pressure is applied. i think that frictional resistance exerted over the entire surface of the retaining ring 231 may hinder rotation of the spinner head. This is not serious, however, if the pressure conditions are properly adjusted, for then a thin nlm of liquid is formed between the chamfered surface of the spinner head and the corresponding surface of the retainer ring, which operates as a lubricating medium. e

The operation of the device is believed to be obvious from what has already been said. I am aware that varioiis proposals have been made in the prior art for driving rotating sprinklers by means of pressure reaction from a number of streams passing through the sprinkler head. But infsueh devices. as have ,heretofore 4come to iy attention, the streams discharged form a single circular band or a series of concentric circles on the surface to be covered, as distinct from a water blanket which uniformly reaches all ot that surface. in the device of the present invention, the actual pattern ot' water drops, as the droplets reach the ground, is substantially uniform over the entire area, without noticeable dry spots or bands. This l attribute entirely to the orientation given to the discharge streams, which are all substantially tangential to the radius of the sprinkler head at the point of discharge, yet leave the plane of rotation at ditt'erent angles.

'lhe term "tangential has necessarily been employed rather loosely herein, because there is no term which describes the orientation ot these discharge streams with strict engineering accuracy. Their trajectories will lie in a plane which is roughly at right angles to the cylinder radius at the point of discharge. If the plane ot rotation be regarded as the azimuth, the angle of elevation gothe various streams preferably ranges from 45 to l claim:

1. A rotary sprinkler unit comprising a rotatablymounted spinner head in the form of a right cylinder having a discharge face and an inlet face and a cylindri` cal wall extending below the inlet face, said spinner head having a plurality of discharge openings in its discharge face spaced at equal radii from the axis of rotation, a plurality of inlet apertures in its inlet face, and a delivery channel interconnecting each discharge opening with one inlet opening, said channels being oriented to discharge fluid in a plane at right angles to the spinner radius at the point of discharge, and at least one of said channels being oriented to discharge fluid at an elevational angle substantially above the plane of rotation but less than 90; said sprinkler unit also comprising a fixed sleeve member surrounding said spinner head and adapted for connection to a source of pressure iluid, and support means carried by said sleeve member and rotatably mounting the spinner head in lxed axial relation to the sleeve member.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the spinner head has a plurality of water channels milled into the peripheral wall of the cylinder, and the cylindrical wall is a tubular member surrounding said cylinder and of greater axial length than said cylinder.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein one of the delivery channels is oriented at an angle of 90 to the plane of rotation.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein there are more than two discharge openings, angularly spaced apart by equal arcs, and supplied by delivery channels oriented at different elevational angles.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein there are eight channels, with their discharge openings 45 apart.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein the angular elevation from the plane of rotation of any given channel varies by not more than 10 from the angular elevation or' a diametrically opposite channel.

7. The device of claim l, wherein there are more than two water channels, with their delivery openings equally spaced angularly from each other, each channel being at a dilferent elevational angle, but none being at a lesser angle than 45 nor at a greater angle than 90 to the plane ot' rotation.

8. A device according to claim l, wherein a closure member having a central aperture encloses a space between the inlet tace of the spinner and the base of the cylindrical wall, a closure member having a central aperture extends crosswise of the fixed sleeve below the base of the sirirt, and a hollow pivot pin secured in the aperture last named extends through the aperture irst named to deliver uid to the enclosed space referred to.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein a central socket is provided in the discharge face of the spinner head and a narrow bridge piece spanning the lixed sleeve member carries a socket-engaging pivot element.

l0. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ixed sleeve member has an inturned lip adjacent the discharge face of the spinner head, and the spinner head is cut away to form an angular bearing surrace in running engagement with said lip, said ixed sleeve member further having a snap ring adjacent the inlet end of the skirt on said spinner head.

ll. ln a rotary sprinkler, a hollow rotary cylindrical spinner having a discharge head traversed by non-radial iluicl channels, a cylindrical wall extending below the head, and a base closure member having a central aperture therein; a mounting for said spinner having a cylindrical wall in running engagement with said spinner, and having a base closure provided with a central aperture co-axial with the aperture in the spinner base, mounting means `on said mounting member for connection to a source of lluid under pressure, and a hollow tubular pivot pin immovably fixed in the aperture in the base of the mounting member and extending through the aperture in the base of the spinner closure member in running engagement therewith; said pivot pin having within the spinner a portion of greater diameter than the aperture in the spinner closure member, whereby to limit axial movement of the spinner away from the base of the supporting member.

l2. A device according to claim 11, wherein a bearing surface is formed around the aperture in the spinner closure member, and the pivot pin is provided with an external bearing surface mating therewith.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,180,167 McMillan Apr. 18, 1916 1,598,352 Kehoe et al. Aug. ll, 1926 1,862,381 Le Moon June 7, 1932 1,919,245 Munz July 25, 1933 2,269,901 Bletcher Jan. 13, 1942 2,505,582 Unger Apr. 25, 1950 2,560,833 Wagner July 17, 1951 2,607,625 Salmonese Aug. 19, 1952 2,622,927 Sarbu Dec. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 825,916 Germany e Dec. 27, 1951 936,610 France July 26, 1948 

